Manchester United PL – 2017/18 Report Card

Everything began with a win against West Ham at Old Trafford in which Romelu Lukaku scored twice.

The Belgian striker, marked from Everton in the late spring, found within the post subsequent to being tied up by Marcus Rashford on the counter-assault with 33 minutes gone.

Lukaku multiplied his tally 7-minutes after half-time when he headed in from Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s free-kick. Rashford’s twisting strike took off the post and over the goalmouth yet Mourinho’s men were not denied a third as Anthony Martial slid the ball past West Ham debutante Joe Hart after a great Mkhitaryan pass.

Afterward, Paul Pogba closed off the game with a long-run strike after Martial’s pass. The following triumph was at Liberty Stadium against Swansea in which Romelu Lukaku scored for the second match running as Manchester United kept up their winning start to the Premier League season with 4-0 at Swansea City.

Manchester United hosted Leicester City in Matchweek-3 where Marcus Rashford kept up Manchester United’s 100% start to the season with the opener in a 2-0 win. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting heroics finished Manchester United’s 100% record.

The summer signing broke the defense on 43 minutes at the bet365 Stadium, changing over Mame Biram Diouf’s cross for the first goal United had yielded in 2017/18 season.

Yet, Marcus Rashford promptly leveled, redirecting in Paul Pogba’s header. Butland’s stoppage-time spare from Kurt Zouma’s header kept United to a point that set them back on the top.

Stokes moved to tenth. Three goals in the late 10 minutes helped Manchester United run level with Manchester City at the top of Premier League with a 4-0 win in their next match at home against Everton.

Romelu Lukaku equaled a Manchester United Premier League record with the only goal in a 1-0 win at Southampton. United are as yet unbeaten however are behind Manchester City on GD. Saints drop to eleventh.

Manchester United proceeded with their amazing run of with a 4-0 triumph over Crystal Palace at Old Trafford. For the second season running Liverpool and Manchester United played out a goalless, yet engaging, draw at Anfield.

United was obliged to David De Gea for some great goalkeeping. His best effort came in the 35th minute when he stood out a foot to deny Joel Matip from short proximity before Mohamed Salah missed the bounce back.

Aaron Mooy and Laurent Depoitre scored first-half goals as Huddersfield Town gave Manchester United their first League thrashing of the season, winning 2-1 at John Smith’s Stadium.

United pulled a goal back when a cross from Romelu Lukaku was pushed in by Marcus Rashford with 12 minutes to go, regardless of great pressure, couldn’t find an equalizer and fell five points behind Manchester City, the leaders. Anthony Martial was in the starting XI against spurs, beating them 1-0. Spurs, without Harry Kane, battled against United’s three-man barrier.

This was Manchester United’s first Premier League win in last three matches.

Alvaro Morata scored his seventh goal of the season as Chelsea earned a 1-0 triumph over The Red Devils at Stamford Bridge. Tiemoue Bakayoko twice approached the goal against hosts, previously a Phil Jones own goal was ruled out for a push by Morata. Next match was against The Magpies, Paul Pogba scored and gave some help on his comeback from injury as Manchester United earned a 4-1 win.

Dwight Gayle turned into the principal rival to score at Old Trafford in the PL this season when he put Newcastle 1-0 up from DeAndre Yedlin’s reduction. In any case, Pogba’s cross enabled Anthony Martial to head in the equalizer in 37 minutes, before Chris Smalling changed over Ashley Young’s middle in first-half stoppage time.

After the break, Pogba tapped in from Marcus Rashford’s knockdown before getting a send-off in the 70th minute. Not long after Romelu Lukaku pummeled in the fourth and Zlatan Ibrahimovic came back from an injury to an overwhelming applause later on. The win put Man Utd second on the table. Newcastle was eleventh.

Lewis Dunk’s own goal deflecting in an Ashley Young shot, sealed a 1-0 win for Manchester United over Brighton & Hove Albion. Young’s drive from the edge of the zone circled over goalkeeper Mat Ryan for the only goal of the match in the 66th minute.

Ryan had kept Brighton in the match right on half-time with a twofold spare save Romelu Lukaku and Paul Pogba. Brighton had matched United, enervating on various occasions with perilous crosses from Anthony Knockaert and Pascal Gross, and Shane Duffy heading barely wide. United after this match, went five points behind Manchester City.

Ashley Young finished an 18-month dry spell scoring twice against his previous club, as Manchester United beat Watford 4-2 at Vicarage Road. Manchester United finished Arsenal’s 12 home win run on account of Jesse Lingard’s twofold and David De Gea’s heroics in an exciting 3-1 triumph.

The Gunners were on a 12 game winning run at home, yet the hosts were the planners of their own destruction, giving the Reds Devils the chance inside four minutes. United was 2-0 up after just 11 minutes at Emirates Stadium after some mix-ups from Arsenal. Antonio Valencia scored after a one-two with Paul Pogba in four minutes, after that Anthony Martial played in Lingard to score.

Arsenal had been frustrated by De Gea’s splendor goalkeeping, making a joint-record 14 saves, until Aaron Ramsey set up Alexandre Lacazette to flame in four minutes after the break. Lingard made it 3-1 on a breakaway, astutely set up by Pogba, who at that point got sent off in 74th-minute. It didn’t stop United guaranteeing the three points that took them inside five points of Manchester City.

As we are heading towards the mid-season, Manchester United is picking up the required force. The Red Devils have so far played 15 matches, won 11, with a GD of +26. Quite a bit of that is down to Jose Mourinho, who reminded us of “Einstein” on Saturday that whether his approach has its shortcomings, he has not completely lost his capacity to shake up in an opponent’s backyard and beat them.

The triumph at Arsenal was a side satisfying their manager’s guidelines down to the last letter. “I have to say that my players deserve all the great words. I don’t know so much more in English,” he said post-match. “Amazing, phenomenal, fantastic, and deserved the three points.” The win was Mourinho’s first away from home to one of the Premier League’s ‘top six’ in more than three years.

Players who have impressed enormously in this season are David de Gea, Romelu Lukaku, Anthony Martial, Nemanja Matic and Jesse Lingard. De Gea has the most noteworthy number (9) of clean sheets against his name this season, Lukaku has scored 8 goals making him the joint 6th most astounding goal scorer in PL 2017/18, Martial is eleventh in the rundown with six goals. Matic has made 26 interception attempts for United.

Mourinho professed the effect Lingard had made a week ago, Lingard had 25 appearances in both the 2015/16 and 2016/17 Premier League seasons, gathering five goals and assets the previous and only three in the later. He has outperformed those sums after only 11 matches this season.

The 86th-minute goal against Watford is another ideal example of what he brings. Lingard utilized his pace, dribbling capacity and vision to beat the four Watford players surrounding him, before completing with a clinical complete over the goalkeeper.

The one drawback for the Portuguese Manager, in any case, is that he will be without suspended midfielder Pogba for three games, including the Manchester derby, which is one of the most important match of the season.